Yarn handling apparatus



July 2, 1963 R. G. TESSMER YARN HANDLING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 20. 1960 13 g iIHHlH Will i FlG.-IA-

F I G.- 2 A- INVENTOR.

RAYMOND G. TESSMER FIG-2" July 2, 1963 R. G. TESSMER YARN HANDLING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 20. 1960 llllllll FIG-3A- INVENTOR. RAYMOND G. TES'SMER FIG-3" FIG-4A- Fla-4- July 2, 1963 R. G. TESSMER Y YARN HANDLING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed May 20, 1960 FIG. 7-

' 3.7 INVENTOR.

' RAYMOND G. TESSMER BY a? f 4 FIG. -5A- United States Patent 3,095,683 YARN HANDLING APPARATUS Raymond G. Tessmer, Spartanburg, S.C., assignor to Deen'ng Milliken Research Corporation, Spartanburg, S.C., a corporation of Delaware Filed May 20, 1960, Ser. No. 30,655 3 Claims. (Cl. 57-34) This invention relates to an improved method and apparatus for winding yarn onto yarn carriers, such 1 as tubes, cones, etc., and more particularly to an improved method and apparatus for forming transfer tails and yarn packages on such yarn carriers, as well as forming waste wraps as may be necessary or desired.

- In the art of winding strands of textile material onto yarn carriers such as tubes, cones, etc., all of which will be referred to generically as bobbins, it is often desirable to form a transfer tail on such bobbin prior to the formation of the main yarn package on the carrier. Also, in certain operations such as those involving heat or other thermal or chemical treatment applied to the yarn during vention is illustrated as applied to a twister frame having the course of passage of the yarn from the yarn supply Y to the take-up, it is most desirable to provide for the facile disposal of the waste yarn which is formed at the beginning of the winding of yarn onto each succeeding yarn carrier. Further, in many of the yarn texturizing processes and apparatus it is common practice to control independently each individual twisting or other take-up position, and in such instances it is very desirable and often necessary that any tail-forming method and/or apparatus be capable of practice facilely on an individual spindle position basis.

Although various tail-formingmethods and apparatus have been developed in the prior art, such apparatus and methods have been comparatively cumbersome or have had other limitations such as requiring auxiliary sleeves, spools, etc., to be used with conventional bobbins, and/or have been limited to heavy denier high tensile strength yarns. It is a major feature of the present invention that a method and apparatus is provided for forming a transfer tail, as well as a waste wrap, directly on the bobbin onto which the yarn package is subsequently formed, without necessitating the use of auxiliary sleeves, spools, or the like or necessitating abnormally high yarn tension'during the transfer tail formation, or causing substantial variation between the twist imparted to the yarn during the formation of, the transfer tail and that imparted to the yarn during formation of the yarn package per se.

The invention is applicable to all types of yarns, including both fine denier and heavy denier, and lends itself to practice with minimum modification on a conventional down-twister frame, if desired. a

Still further features and attendant advantages will become apparent to those skilled in the art from a reading of the following detailed description of an illus trative physical embodiment constructed according to the invention, and describing the method of forming waste wraps and transfer tails according to the invention. In the accompanying drawings:

FIGURES 1-5 are schematic perspective views of an apparatus constructed according to the invention, the

respective views illustrating sequential steps in the practice of the method of the invention utilizing this apparatus.

FIGURES 1A-e5A are schematic elevation views of the apparatus according to the invention, corresponding to FIGURES 1-5 respectively.

'FIGURES 6 and 7 are perspective and front elevation views respectively of the auxiliary flyer employed in the arrangement of FIGURES 1-5.

Referring now to the figures of the drawing, the ina conventional downtwister take-up with a traverse ring 11 and traveler 13 which may be suitably mounted on a reciprocably driven ring rail (not shown). As in conventional practice the ring 11 and its associated traveler 13' are reciprocated longitudinally of the bobbin supporting spindle 15 which may be suitably driven in any desired manner, as by a belt drive (not shown). Also, as in conventional practice the reciprocally moved traverse ring 11 and associated traveler 13 are employed for the purpose of twisting the yarn and winding a yarn package onto the bobbin B, which in the instant example is a cone, suitably supported in driven relation on the spindle 15.

a The down-twister take-up is modified according to the present invention by the mounting of an auxiliary ring 17 and auxiliary traveler 19 beneath the primary traverse ring 11. The auxiliary ring 17 is preferably vertically movable through a limited distance adjacent the lower end of the seated bobbin in order to provide for the formation of both waste yarn wraps W and transfer tail wraps T. To this end, in the illustrative example the auxiliary ring 17 at each take-up position is mounted on fixed supports 21 on the frame through the medium of one or more guide pins 23 secured to the ring, each guide pin 23 extending in sliding relation through a corresponding bore in a respective one of the supports 21. In the illustrated ex ample the guide pins 23 are secured, as by set screws 25 in bosses 27 formed on or secured to the auxiliary ring 17, and these bosses 27 serve in conjunction with the upper surface of the supports 21 to limit the lower extent of travel of the auxiliary ring 17 and associated traveler 19. The upper limit of travel of the auxiliary ring 17 may be suitably established as by a collar or collars 29 adjustably secured to one or more of the guide pins beneath the corresponding supports as by a set screw 31. Obviously, other supporting arrangements might be employed for the auxiliary ring, as for instance the ring might be slidable on a fixed pin or pins disposed in a support or supports therefor, or other suitable guide and supporting means might be provided .as desired. It is, however, in many instances most desirable to permit a limited longitudinal movement of the auxiliary ring in order to provide for formation of separate waste and transfer tail wraps on the bobbin prior to the formation of the yarn package on the bobbin.

In order to provide for ease of movement of the individual auxiliary ring at each individual take-up position there is provided a manually operable lever system, including a hand lever'33'pivotally mounted as indicated at 35, and a suitable linkage 37 connecting between the auxiliary ring 17 and this pivotally mounted lever 33.

As will be seen from the figures, it is most desirable that thelower auxiliary ring be of a size different from that of the primary traversing ring in order to accommodate the normal traversing movement of the primary ring, particularly when the auxiliary ring is in the raised position to form the transfer tail wrap or wraps closely adjacent the lower end of the bobbin package build. To this end the external diameter of the auxiliary ring is preferably smaller than the internal diameter of the traveling ring. a

A special auxiliary traveler 19 is mounted for sliding movement on the auxiliary ring 17, an example of such traveler being shown in detail in FIGURES 6 and 7. The traveler has a main body portion 19a which is generally C-shaped in the conventional manner for hooking over the ring to lock the traveler in sliding relation thereon, and extending laterally from the upper section of the traveler body is a finger 1% which serves as a temporary guide for the yarn during the formation of the transfer tail and waste wraps. Normally, the traveler body 19a is of sufficient oversize to permit the traveler to slide at an inclined angle, as shown for example in FIGURE 1, and in order to properly guide the yarn between the guide finger and the main body portion of the traveler the laterally extending guide finger 19b is preferably disposed with its bottom surface extending along a straight or slightly concave line forming an acute angle with an adjacent surface of the main body portion of the traveler. Thus, as seen in FIGURE 1, the normal inclined position of the traveler body 19a in running relation permits the canted finger 19b to assume a position approximately parallel with or slightly downwardly inclined with respect to the upper surface of the auxiliary ring, and in the illustrated construction the finger 19b and main body portion of the traveler together with the adjacent surface of the auxiliary ring serve to form a 3-sided open-ended enclosure for the yarn during its engagement with the auxiliary traveler 19. There is thus formed in effect a movable open-ended enclosure from which the yarn can be released by the exertion of a retarding force on the yarn during the laying of yarn onto the bobbin thereby.

In order to provide for selective release of the yarn from the auxiliary traveler :a yarn engaging and retarding release member 39 is disposed between the spindle and the inner periphery of the auxiliary ring, this member being mounted for vertical sliding movement in a guide 41 and slidably movable longitudinally of the spindle 15 as by a hand operated lever 43 loosely engaging the lower end of the release member. In order to prevent angular movement of the release member in its guide aperture 45 toward or away from the spindle or the auxiliary ring the guide engaging portion of the release member 39 is preferably non-circular in cross-section, and the guide aperture 45 therefor has a corresponding. complementary non-circular cross-section. For instance, the vertical sliding portion of the release member 39 may be square in cross-section, with a corresponding square vertical guide opening 45 in the guide.

In the illustrated example, the yarn release member takes the form of a rod which is bent at its upper end portion to form an inclined yarn retarding and release surface. In plan view, the bent upper end portion 39a of the yarn release member 39 is preferably curved with a suitable curvature to fit most facilely with ample clearance between the bobbin B and the auxiliary ring 17.

A suitable stop 47 may be provided to establish the lower quiescent position of the lever and yarn release member, and a similar limit stop 49 may be provided for establishing the upper of travel of the lever and yarn release member. In the normal quiescent or lowermost position of the yarn release member 39, the yarn retarding surfiace portion 39a thereof is below the path of travel of the yarn Y from the auxiliary traveler 19 to the bobbin B when the auxiliary ring 17 'is in the lowermost or waste wrap forming position. Upon movement of the yarn release member actuating lever 43 to raise the yarn release member 39 to its uppermost position the yarn retarding and release surface portion 39a will be brought into the path of travel of the yarn Y from the auxiliary traveler 19 to the bobbin B when the auxiliary ring 17 is in the uppermost or transfer tail-forming position (see FIGURES 3 and 3a, 4 and 4a).

In operation, the individual twist take/up position threaded up by bringing the yarn down from a yarn supply (not shown) through a suitable guide system including an axially aligned thread board guide (not shown) to the primary ring 11, where it is threaded through the primary traveler 13. The yarn is threaded in engagement with the auxiliary traveler 19 beneath the laterally extending finger 1%, without passing through the C-sha'ped main body portion 19a as in the conven tional traveler thread up, and is thereupon led to the bobbin B where it is secured to the bobbin as by mapping about the bob-bin one or more turns. At this time, the auxiliary ring 17 is in the lowermost or waste wrap forming position and the yarn release member 39 is in its lowermost or quiescent position as shown in FIGURES l and 1a. The drive (not shown) may then be connected to the spindle 15 to initiate winding of the waste wrap as illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 1a. Upon the winding of sufiicient turns in the waste wrap W to insure the disposal of any initial defective yarn the operator may then raise the ring-actuating lever 33 upwardly to cause the ring to move toward its uppermost position. The rate of movement of this lever relative to the rate of rotation of the spindle 15 and bobbin B will determine the spacing between the transfer tail wraps T as they are formed above the waste wrap W.

In both the Waste wrap and transfer tail-forming condition of the apparatus the rotation of the spindle and bobbin will effect orbiting motion of the auxiliary traveler 13 and primary traveler 19 on their respective rings, the auxiliary traveler being somewhat ahead of the primary traveler as shown in the figures of the drawings. Thus, as in the usual case, the primary traveler 13 will be slida-bly dragged about its ring 11, and the auxiliary traveler v19 will likewise be dragged about its ring 17 so long as the yarn Y is in engagement with the auxiliary traveler '19, and in this condition the yarn will be wound onto the bobbin B substantially in the plane of travel of the auxiliary traveler 19. After release from the auxiliary traveler the yarn will be wound onto the bobbin B substantially in the plane of travel of the primary traveler.

Upon the formation of the desired number of transfer tail wraps T formed during the upper end of travel of the auxiliary ring the operator will move the lever 43 to move the yarn release member 39 vertically to the active yarn release position as shown in FIGURES 3 and 3a and 4 and 4a. In this position the inclined yarn retarding and release portion 39a of the release member 39 disposed in the path of the yarn from the auxiliary traveler to the bobbin, and as the yarn proceeds in its orbiting motion about the axis of the spindle and bobbin t will be brought into engagement with the yarn retardmg and release surface formed by the upper inclined portion 39a of the release member. As will be seen in FIG- URES 3 and 3a and 4 and 4a the thus-engaged yarn Y will be bent in its path and retarded by this engagement with the yarn retarding surface 39a so as to cause release 'of the yarn from the finger 19b of the auxiliary traveler. This action will be effective as a result of the kinetic energy in the orbiting auxiliary traveler and its consequent tendency to continue its orbitmg travel about the axis of the spindle and bobbin, whereas the yarn, upon encountering the yarn retarding surface of the release member 39, will be materially retarded to an extent suflicient to overcome the ooefficient of friction between the yarn and the auxiliary traveler finger 1912. Thus, the yarn will be disengaged from the auxiliary traveler 19 by its engagement with the yarn release member 39. In this released condition the yarn will thereupon and thereafter be guided to the bobbin by the primary traveler 13 disposed on the primary traverse ring 11. It will be noted that the primary traverse ring may be reciprocated in its normal traverse path during the entire portion of the waste wrap and tail-forming operation when employing the arrangement and method according to this invention. Thus, upon release of the yarn from the auxiliary traveler 19 the yarn will then begin its normal traverse and build on the bobbin at whatever position the primary traverse ring is disposed at that time, and the take-up and package-forming operation will proceed in the normal and conventional manner from this point on until the completion of the pack-age build cycle.

It will be appreciated that it is difiicult for the operator to establish with any certainty the number of wraps T being or having been formed for the transfer tail, and he should therefore use his best judgment to establish the period of time between the raising of the auxiliary ring 17 and the release of the yarn Y from the iauxiliaglty traveler 19 by the yarn release member 39. However, in most instances it will be satisfactory to cause the yarn nelease member 39 to release the yarn from the auxiliary traveler 19 substantially immediately upon the raising of the auxiliary ring to its upper position.

It will be noticed from the figures of the drawings, and particularly FIGURES 5 and 5a, that with the present invention the waste wraps W, the transfer tail wraps T, and the main body P of the yarn package may be separated by discrete internals, if so desired, and in many instances this is desirable insofar as the separation of the transfer tail wraps item the waste wuaps is concerned. It is, of course, understood that there will be a connect ing length of yarn between the waste Wraps W and the transfer tail wraps T, as well as between the transfer tail wraps T and the main body P of the yarn package Upon the dofing of the bobbin with its full package thereon in the conventional manner, the operator may cut the waste wrap W loose from the transfer tail wraps T and remove the waste yarn in the waste wrap W, thus leaving :a transfer tail of good quality yarn and having substantially the same twist and other qualities as the yarn in the main body of the package.

While this invention has been described with reference to only one illustrative embodiment constructed in accordance therewith it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the ant that various modifications and improvements may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Accordingly, it will be understood that the invention is not to be limited by the specific illustrative embodiment disclosed herein, but only by the scope of the appended claims.

That which is claimed is:

1. Appamatus for forming wraps of yarn on a yarn carrier comprising a spindle for mounting a yarn carrier, a first yarn guide disposed laterally adgacent said spindle, said first yarn guide and said spindle being longitudinally relatively movable with respect to one another for forming a package of yarn on a yarn carrier on said spindle, a second yarn guide disposed in longitudinally spaced apart position from said first guide and being also disposed laterally adjacent said spindle, said second yarn guide being angularly movable about the axis of said spindle, and a normally yarn-disengaged yarnretard-ing element adapted to be moved into contact with the yarn at a position adjacent said second yarn guide for selectively disengaging yarn from said second yarn guide during laying of yarn thereby onto a yarn carrier on said spindle while not disengaging the yarn from said first yarn guide.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said yarnengaging element for selectively disengaging yarn from said second yarn guide comprises a yarn engaging member having a yarn-engaging cam surface inclined with respect to a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said spindle, said member being disengaged from said yarn during formation of wraps by said second yarn guide and movable in a direction having a component parallel to the longitudinal axis of said spindle.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said yarnenga-ging element for selectively disengaging yarn from said second yarn guide is a movable yarn-retarding member selectively movable into and out of the normal path of yarn travel from said second yarn guide to a carrier on said spindle and being movable into said normal path fromla position disposed below said normal path of yarn trave References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,747,359 Keefe May 29, 1956 2,952,965 Binns Sept. 20, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 780,417 Great Britain July 31, 1957 

1. APPARATUS FOR FORMING WRAPS OF YARN ON A YARN CARRIER COMPRISING A SPINDLE FOR MOUNTING A YARN CARRIER, A FIRST YARN GUIDE DISPOSED LATERALLY ADJACENT SAID SPINDLE, SAID FIRST YARN GUIDE AND SAID SPINDLE BEING LONGITUDINALLY RELATIVELY MOVABLE WITH RESPECT TO ONE ANOTHER FOR FORMING A PACKAGE OF YARN ON A YARN CARRIER ON SAID SPINDLE, A SECOND YARN GUIDE DISPOSED IN LONGITUDINALLY SPACED APART POSITION FROM SAID FIRST GUIDE AND BEING ALSO DISPOSED LATERALLY ADJACENT SAID SPINDLE, SAID SECOND YARN GUIDE BEING ANGULARLY MOVABLE ABOUT THE AXIS OF SAID SPINDLE, AND A NORMALLY YARN-DISENGAGED YARNRETARDING ELEMENT ADAPTED TO BE MOVED INTO CONTACT WITH THE YARN AT A POSITION ADJACENT SAID SECOND YARN GUIDE FOR SELECTIVELY DISENGAGING YARN FROM SAID SECOND YARN GUIDE DURING LAYING OF YARN THEREBY ONTO A YARN CARRIER ON SAID SPINDLE WHILE NOT DISENGAGING THE YARN FROM SAID FIRST YARN GUIDE. 